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On Friday 17 June, member voting closed on the Agreement in Principle for the 2021 General Agreement (Schools). Just over 5,000 members voted with 70 per cent of those voting in favour.

Congratulations to SSTUWA member Clare Stack for being named runner up of the Australian Education Union’s 2021 Arthur Hamilton Award.

The 2022 federal election result is a rejection of a government which refused to act to address crises in cost of living, wage growth and insecure work.

Evidence that money works in education continues to accumulate. A new study published in the latest issue of the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy shows that increased expenditure on schools improves student outcomes.

After years of tireless effort from unions and community activists, the Fair Work Commission recently made an in-principle decision that 2.66 million workers covered by modern awards should have access to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave.

This article is the first of a two-part series and is the transcript of a speech delivered by Education International President Susan Hopgood (pictured right) at the Australian Education Union’s 2022 Federal Conference in Melbourne in April.

Children’s early years from birth to the age of eight are crucial for their social, emotional and intellectual development. However, early years education in Australia is fragmented. It operates across two spaces, the pre-compulsory period, often called early childhood education, and the first three years of compulsory schooling.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is marked every year from 27 May – 3 June. It is an opportunity for Australians to learn and reflect upon our shared histories, culture and achievements and our part to play in achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Throughout history, workers have banded together to build an organisation that empowers them by providing them with a voice, influence and power in the workplace and beyond. This organisation is known as a union.

Keeping workloads down for members is one of our top priorities. TAFE members may have noticed instructions in their eNews lately as part of our campaign to reduce workloads and help ensure current entitlements are respected and implemented.

The WA economy has always relied on some of the most hazardous industries in Australia – such as agriculture, construction, transport and resources. However, despite working people in WA being most at risk, up until late March, we’ve shamefully had the weakest workplace safety laws in the country.

With the recent implementation of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act) in WA, what key points of change may affect school and TAFE environments, compared with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (OSH Act)?

How to Vote

Term 1 is over, and what a term it was. We celebrated International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8 March, with our members sharing how they “Break the Bias”. We heard stories from both sides of our educational settings – schools and TAFE.

The Australian Education Union has welcomed the incoming Albanese Labor Government.

This article is to provide more detail to SSTUWA school leaders in relation to the Agreement in Principle (AIP) and to address misinformation that is currently circulating.

With Labor forming government, public education has been handed a reprieve from what may well have been an existential threat to the entire system.

In early 2022 the new WA Work Health and Safety Act will come into effect for workplaces within Western Australia. This will lead to changes in the functions of safety representatives and terminology on the legislation will change. It is important to be aware that at present the OSH Act is still operating. Language will change with the change in legislation and this article will reflect the new terminology.

The SSTUWA is pleased that members will now be able to access COVID-19 leave immediately if needed, with the requirement to first exhaust other forms of leave now being lifted.

The Australian Trade Union Institute late last year hosted a pre-recorded address by 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame as a special online event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.